Various different Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) wireless access structures are used for wireless internet access. Such structures are commonly used for wireless internet/network access purposes particularly at such locations as airports, shopping centers, restaurants/cafes, holiday complexes, fairgrounds, parks, and squares. Wi-Fi wireless access field (hotspot) provides Wi-Fi service provider backbone network channel connection to Wi-Fi devices via a Wi-Fi Hotspot Access Point. Wi-Fi hotspot further provides connection for security purposes or on subscription basis depending upon the choice of some Wi-Fi Hotspot Service Providers. Thereupon, before connecting a device to internet, Wi-Fi hotspot makes the device user pass through security control or payment verification by using Authentication Server of Service Provider. Only if and when it successfully passes through security control or payment control, Wi-Fi device is connected to internet. In general, Wi-Fi hotspot connection process passes through the following steps. Any Wi-Fi device links to a Wi-Fi hotspot access point and gets an IP address for device in order to be connected to Wi-Fi hotspot. Then, device user enters such information as password, and Wi-Fi service provider initiates authentication process. If authentication is completed successfully, user is granted a permission for access to Internet and/or Intranet. User enters the web address intended to be visited. Wi-Fi service provider scans through DNS servers and finds IP address of the web address, and provides the required connection to the relevant website.
Different control structures have been built in order to monitor the operability, connection speed and efficiency of Wi-Fi hotspot. As an example for this type of structures:
In the application no. US20080209537 titled “Self-Initiated End-to-End Monitoring of an Authentication Gateway”, operability of authentication gateway on network is monitored. In the application, a test process initiated by authentication gateway for this purpose is explained. Authentication gateway identifies a temporary user in the system, and sends this temporary user to a special client in network, and requests the client to try to link to network through this temporary user, and tests its own operability according to the result obtained by the client. Said application has been designed to monitor operability of authentication gateway. Particularly in the case of network and access problems, authentication server cannot transmit this authentication process to the client in network, thereby initiating the authentication process. Furthermore, the innovation described in this application only aims the authentication. It does not aim to measure other services and user experience in hotspots.
Another one is the application no. US20070259670 titled “Mobile Wi-Fi network monitor”. Said application describes the structure measuring the bandwidth of Wi-Fi hotspot service. In the application, a connection analysis realized by using a mobile device such as a telephone and an analysis client installed in the device is explained. Analysis client links to network, and determines bandwidth of connection. Analysis client measures bandwidth of connection on date and position bases, and transmits such measurement data to the server where analysis data are stored. However, in the innovation described in the said application, no information other than the position based bandwidth is kept. System does not test operability and performance of all Wi-Fi and Internet services to be used by a Wi-Fi hotspot user in the system. Another application no. GB2470360 titled “Monitoring the reliability of hotspots in packet-based Networks” describes the identification and reporting of inoperable wireless networks, and the establishment of connection according to the order of priority.
Wi-Fi hotspots occasionally face such various technical problems as disconnections and snagging due to various different reasons. When these technical problems occur inside Wi-Fi hotspot access point and Wi-Fi service provider backbone network, Wi-Fi service provider can record the problem in network monitoring system as it continuously provides data flow. However, in the case of a connection problem between Wi-Fi hotspot access point and Wi-Fi device, the backbone central network monitoring systems cannot detect the problems in Wi-Fi wireless networks. Such connection problems can be understood generally upon complaints and warnings of users using Wi-Fi hotspots. For this reason, connection problems faced by Wi-Fi service provider users cannot be detected and remedied in a short time.
Though Wi-Fi service provider central network monitoring solutions providing Wi-Fi wireless access services can monitor backbone network up to DSL or fiber modem, being the last cabled connection point, they fail to collect information about operability and quality of service in wireless access field at Wi-Fi hotspot access point and thereafter. Therefore, problems occurring on the side of Wi-Fi hotspot are recognized first by customers, and Wi-Fi service providers become aware of these problems only upon customer complaints.
The aforementioned existing applications provide the opportunity to monitor by different ways the connection established between Wi-Fi service provider and Wi-Fi hotspot access point. Potential disadvantage of the existing applications is their failure in reliable monitoring of communication between Wi-Fi hotspot access point and Wi-Fi device (user) while controlling the operability of Wi-Fi hotspot services. Another disadvantage thereof is that they require a control and measurement mechanism starting from the user side.
In order to eliminate the said disadvantages, a device and a method are developed to measure operability, quality and performance of wireless network services provided at Wi-Fi hotspots, thereby measuring the user experience, and to instantly detect the service failures, and to create and issue short- and long-term performance reports of the system.